School of Food Systems
Cereal and Food Sciences
www.ag.ndsu.edu/cereal-science
Food Science Major
The Food Science major is offered through the School of Food Systems in the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources. It is designed to prepare students for a career in the food industry, the “world’s largest industry,” which is responsible for feeding the world.
The program is structured to develop an understanding of the nature, properties, and characteristics of foods through foundation courses in biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology, physics, and other sciences. Food science courses are built on this foundation. Applications include the study of food safety, processing, preservation, sanitation, storage, and marketing of foods. The analysis and microbiological and biochemical characterization of food products also are studied. Additional elective courses in economics and business administration are available to students intending to enter a management career.
Note: Transfer credits in food science from other institutions must have grades of 'C' or better to be accepted for the food science program at NDSU. The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) approves the curriculum in the food science program. Students majoring in food science, therefore, are eligible to compete for the prestigious IFT scholarships.
The program also provides the opportunity to gain industrial experience during undergraduate study by means of industry internships. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to recognize, critically analyze, and solve problems realistically in both industrial and academic environments.
Great Plains Institute of Food Safety
Food Safety Major
A number of undergraduate and graduate programs of study are offered through the Great Plains Institute for Food Safety. Food safety is an area of concern for many Americans, the current target of tremendous interest, effort, and spending worldwide, and an area in which shortages of expertise are manifest. For further information, refer to the Interdisciplinary Programs section of this Bulletin.
